


Lavabender

by Ynnealay



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Bending (Avatar), Brother Feels, Character Death, Gen, I'm Sorry, lavabending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-09-01 11:15:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8622475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ynnealay/pseuds/Ynnealay
Summary: In which Bolin didn't survive the lava flow in Enter the Void. Mako suffers.





	

It wasn’t until after they had landed safely that Mako realized what had happened. It wasn’t until he looked at Tenzin and Asami did he realize Bolin was really missing. He was standing, then he was sitting. His legs had given out without him realizing it. At first, Mako couldn’t recall a single detail, and then everything was perfectly clear.

The lava was rushing down the tunnel. Everything had been stifling and hot. He knew he should have been afraid, but all he registered was the objective of getting out, and not the consequence of if they didn’t. Despite the terrible odds, Bolin was trying his hardest. Determined as always.

_“This way!”_

_“Now what!?”_

He had been looking off the edge of a sheer drop, then he had been focusing on Tenzin. He didn’t notice Bolin turn and face the lava like he knew he could control it. He didn’t notice until Bolin was right in front of the incoming lava flow. It was all a string of not knowing until it was too late.

The lava had arched, and Bolin was bending like he had to convince himself.

_“Bolin!”_

For a moment, he had managed to bend the lava at bay. Mako held onto that moment of absolute joy when he saw the lava change its course with Bolin’s movements. _He’s a lavabender!_ And suddenly metalbending seemed like the most unimportant thing in the world. He was so _happy_.

But the moment didn’t last long. It was cruelly short. Bolin was screaming, and the lava was too much. There was too much of the molten rock coming from every different direction. While Bolin managed to keep it arched over his head, the lava below started seeping forward, and Bolin couldn’t keep his footing. Mako paled and despite the smothering heat, he felt ice cold.

_“BOLIN!”_

But Bolin had known that if he stopped then, nobody would have gotten out alive, and Mako hated that he knew that, and hated that he couldn’t have helped. He couldn’t have done anything. He was stuck watching, unable and powerless.

Bolin held the lava back for as long as he could, and Mako watched his fight until the last second when the lava enveloped his brother and he couldn’t see anything but a river of red.

Kai showed up just a moment too late. It would have been too late for all of them had it not been for Bolin, but Mako only realized that later. Later. _Later_. Only after it was too _late_.

 _Bolin is a lavabender_.

But what should have been the greatest day of Bolin’s life was also his last.


End file.
